Shipping and display box



Oct. 11, 1966 L D. YOUNG SHIPPING AND DISPLAY BOX Filed Nov. '7. 1965 R O T m V m LEWIS DOUGLAS YOUNG ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,278,012 SIIWPING AND DISPLAY BOX Lewis Douglas Young, Providence, R.I., assignor to Douglas Young, Inc., Pawtuclset, R.I., a corporation of Rhode Island Filed Nov. 7, 1963, Ser. No. 322,115 3 (:lalmS. or. 26045.20)

My present invention pertains to the container art and more particularly to a novel construction of a shipping and display container.

The principal object of the present invention is to provide a shipping and display container in which the display portion is provided with a foldable section for supporting the display portion in an angular position.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a shipping and display container in which a foldable display section is frictionally retained in closed position when the container is in shipping position.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a shipping and display container which is simple in construction and easy and economical to manufacture and assemble.

With the above and other objects and advantageous features in view my invention consists of a novel arrangement of parts more fully disclosed in the detailed description following in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and more particularly defined in the appended claims.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a shipping and display container in display position.

FIG. 2 is a section taken on line 22 on FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a bottom plan view of the base of the shipping and display container.

It is conventional in the box manufacturing art to provide shipping and display containers in which the bottom of the container is provided with a flap or tab which can be pulled open to support the bottom portion or base of the container in a position at an angle to the horizontal for displaying the contents. In such constructions the cover is set aside or thrown away. Constructions have been provided in which the base of the container is provided with a scored line so that a portion of the base will fold downwardly and the entire assembly placed within the cover. This also forms a convenient display container. However, it has been found that in such constructions the downwardly folding portion has a tendency to drop down, especially after a single use, and will no longer remain in closed position even when the cover is placed on the base for shipping purposes. This makes the container awkward to stack and handle. This defect has been corrected in some instances by providing hooks and other positive locking members to hold the flap up in closed position. The present invention is designed to provide a shipping and display container in which the flap is held in closed position without the use of outside aids and is frictionally retained in closed position by the construction of the container itself.

Referring more in detail to the drawings illustrating my invention, FIG. 1 shows the base of the container with the flap lowered positioned within the cover in display position. The cover is of conventional rectangular form comprising a top cover portion and side flanges 11. The container of the present invention comprises an outer shell portion 12 which comprises a rectangular base 13 having a vertical flange around the perimeter 14. Inside of the portion 12 the container may be constructed to fit any de sired object. For example as illustrated the container is provided with a central well 15 for receiving the goods to be displayed surrounded by a platform portion 16 formed of rectangular cardboard and glued into place. This is for illustrative purposes and the central well portion 15 may be constructed in any desired manner for holding any object.

The outer portion of the base is provided with the finished box portion of the same type of finish as the cover 10 and side flanges 11 thereof. This comprises a rectangular bottom portion 17, see FIG. 3, having flanges 18 extending upwardly around the portion 12. In accordance with the present invention, the base portion 17 is glued to the bottom or base portion 13 of the portion 12 and the flanges 18 are glued to the outside of the flanges 14 of the portion 12 as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. However, towards the rear of the base as illustrated in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, the bottom 17 is provided with short scored lines 19 extending towards each other in axial alignment from each side edge for a short distance. Frornthe ends of the lines 19 the base 17 is cut at 20 at an angle extending towards each other and short of the upper edge as shown in FIG. 3. A second cut 21 joins the outer end of the cut portions 20. The portion of the outer section lying upwardly of the score lines 19 as shown in FIG. 3 is not glued to the portion 12. Therefore, this portion can be bent along the lines 19 away from the portion 12 as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.

To display the interior contents of the box, the cover is removed from the top of the box and placed downwardly with the flanges 11 extending upwardly as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. Then the flap formed by the score lines 19 is bent downwardly as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 and the base is positioned within the cover with the front edge extending against the front flanges 11 of the cover and the flap extending rearwardly against the rear flanges 11 of the cover to support the base in angular position. When the box is to be shipped, the base is removed from the cover and the flap is bent back into the position shown in FIG. 3. The cover is then placed in conventional position and the box is ready for shipment. However, in conventional constructions, the flap portion is formed by merely scoring the line 19 directly across transversely and the flap is then bent continually along the same line 19 which becomes loosened. In such constructions it has been found that even with the cover in position ready for shipment the flap will occasionally drop away and interfere with the handling of the box. In the illustrated construction, a frictional engagement is set up along the score lines 20 and 21 between the portion of the base which is glued to the member 12 and the portion forming the flap. This friction line is elongated because of the rectangular shape of the cut. By making the cut portions 20 extend almost to the upper edge as shown in FIG. 3 and then connecting the two ends, the cut portion is greatly elongated in length thus increasing the frictional engagement between the edges. It has been found that this is sufficient to adequately hold the flap portion in position when the package is being used as a shipping container.

Thus the flap construction of the present invention is such that the container functions adequately as a display container with the flap extending within the cover in a conventional manner. However, the construction of the present invention permits the flap to be frictional-1y held in closed position so that it will not be dislodged during shipment and will not interfere with the shipment of the container. The device is simple in construction and easy and economical to manufacture and assemble. Other advantages of the present invention will be readily apparent to a person skilled in the art.

I claim:

I. A shipping and display container comprising a base portion having a peripheral flange, a cover portion having a peripheral flange adapted to fit over said base flange, and a rear portion of said base folding downwardly to form a support for said base when said cover is placed upside down and said base is angularly positioned in said cover for display purposes, said rear portion folding along a line creased inwardly from each side edge a comparatively short distance and then cut from the inner ends of said creased lines rearwardly and then towards each other to form an extended tab.

2. A shipping and display container comprising a base portion having a peripheral flange, a cover portion having a peripheral flange adapted to fit over said base flange, and a rear portion of said base folding downwardly to form a support for said base when said cover is placed upside down and said base is angularly positioned in said cover for display purposes, said rear portion folding along a line creased inwardly from each side edge a comparatively short distance and then cut from the inner ends of said creased lines rearwardly and then towards each other to form an extended tab, and an inner base portion adapted to retain an article regardless of the folded position of said rear base portion.

3. A shipping and display container comprising a base portion having a peripheral flange, a cover portion having a peripheral flange adapted to fit over said base flange, and a rear portion of said base folding downwardly to form a support for said base when said cover is placed upside down and said base is angularly positioned in said cover for display purposes, said rear portion folding along a line creased inwardly from each side edge a comparatively short distance and then cut from the inner ends of said creased lines rearwardly and then towards each other to form an extended tab, the base and rear folding portion being frictionally held along the cut line in closed position when said rear portion is closed into shipping position.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 335,178 2/1886 Case 20645.24 760,935 5/1904 Strauss. 876,146 1/1908 Burt.

1,131,075 3/1915 ODonnell 206-45.24 2,402,062 6/ 1946 Magill 206-45.24

FOREIGN PATENTS 345,410 3/1931 Great Britain.

LOUIS G. MANCENE, Primary Examiner. 

3. A SHIPPING AND DISPLAY CONTAINER COMPRISING A BASE PORTION HAVING A PERIPHERAL FLANGE, A COVER PORTION HAVING A PERIPHERAL FLANGE ADAPTED TO FIT OVER SAID BASE FLANGE, AND A REAR PORTION OF SAID BASE FOLDING DOWNWARDLY TO FORM A SUPPORT FOR SAID BASE WHEN SAID COVER IS PLACED UPSIDE DOWN ANS SAID BASE IS ANGULARLY POSITIONED IN SAID COVER FOR DISPLAY PURPOSES, SAID REAR PORTION FOLDING ALONG A LINE CREASED INWARDLY FROM EACH OF SIDE EDGE A COMPARATIVELY SHORT DISTANCE AND THEN CUT FROM THE INNER ENDS OF SAID CREASED LINES REARWARDLY AND THEN TOWARDS EACH OTHER TO FORM AN EXTENDED TAB, THE BASE AND REAR FOLDING PORTION BEING FRICTIONALLY HELD ALONG THE CUT LINE IN CLOSED POSITION WHEN SAID REAR PORTION IS CLOSED INTO SHIPPING POSITION. 